PONTYPOOL have signed former Dragons scrum-half Owain Leonard from Cross Keys to boost their push for promotion to the Premiership, writes Chris Kirwan.
The 21-year-old from Abergavenny has swapped Pandy Park for Pooler with the aim of helping the club win a fourth WRU National Championship title on the spin and earn a return to the top flight.
Leonard made six appearances for the Dragons after making his PRO14 debut against Edinburgh at Myreside.
"I am extremely excited about my move to Pontypool, he said. "I have spoken to several people within the environment and they have nothing but good words to say about the club.
"From afar, the set-up has always seemed impressive and the quality of the coaching is also something that excites me.
"Pontypool are one of the grand old names in Welsh rugby and they have such a rich history. The following the club enjoys was also a big draw for me.
"Over the last couple of seasons, I've been aware of the big crowds the club has played in front of in the National Cup and during their playoff encounter and the chance to experience that sort of support would appeal to any player.
"So far in my career, I have played all of my rugby in Gwent and I'm pleased to see that continue with Pontypool."
Head of performance Rhys Dyer, a former scrum-half, is pleased to that Leonard will be battling for starts with Martin Luckwell and Aaron Quick.
"Owain had a good all-round game and will fit in well with the rest of the squad," said Dyer. "He has a great running game and will be a real asset for us in attack.
"He is still only 21 but has already experienced so much in his career and still has a lot of room for growth, which will hopefully be with us at Pontypool Park.
"We now have an enviable stable of nines at the club and the fight for the scrum-half shirt next season will be particularly fierce.
"The quality of the signings the club are making his summer goes to show that we are not going away. Promotion will once again be our main aim and we can go into the new season confident of achieving just that."
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